News: Vuzix Strikes Reseller Partnership with Verizon for Enterprise Customers

It looks like it's cuffing season for AR hardware makers and telecommunications corporations.

With AT&T aligned with Magic Leap as its exclusive wireless retailer on the high-end AR side, Verizon has also reached a master reseller agreement with Vuzix, according to a filing with the Securities Exchange Commission.

Per the agreement, Verizon Sourcing, the subsidiary that handles procurement of the inventory that Verizon sells, will offer the Vuzix Blade, M300XL, and M-Series smartglasses and accessories, as well as the Vuzix Basics Video software.

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Vuzix will deliver inventory to Verizon based on purchase orders, with the initial agreement set for a three-year term. The filing states that orders are expected to commence in the second quarter of 2019.

While AT&T's strategic partnership with Magic Leap is consumer-facing, Verizon Sourcing's agreement with Vuzix targets the enterprise sector.

"The initial focus is on business, government, and education to deliver a turnkey solution to Verizon's largest enterprise customers," said Paul Travers, CEO of Vuzix, in a statement to Next Reality. "There is a tremendous amount of value that could be delivered through 5G connectivity and smart glasses and as we could see how this relationship could expand to consumers and across the board with 5G."

So, while augmented reality remains entrenched in the enterprise arena, hardware makers and the mobile carriers who stand to benefit from delivering 3D content and AR experiences to users have their eyes set on the potentially more lucrative consumer realm.

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